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Neck Through Semi Hollow In Progress


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Flamed maple knobs

Hey man, I saw these while the site was down and thought about your project. I don't know if you wanted to go that far with this project, I know those gold knobs look great and more flamed maple might be overboard, but I don't have a good eye for that stuff like you do. Anyways maybe you would like some for another project, they actually looked really good to me. Just a thought, I know you were looking for flamed maple tuner knobs weren't you? I think the ebony ones will be great anyways.

It's getting so close! It's going to be one hell of a guitar, the design and woods will be great let alone all the electronic features it will have. Can't wait! Later man, Jason

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I'm sticking w/ the gold knobs on the pots and ebony on the tuners. Now if you could fine schaller tuner knobs in flamed maple for $31, maybe I'd change my mind. I don't think flamed maple knobs on the pots would give me the look I'm going for though. Anyhow, normally, wooden knobs for pots aren't too expensive. I appreciate the thought though.

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The wiring will not be 100% sealed in, but it will be mostly surrounded by shielding paint/tape. You can't really entirely contain controls on a hollow body, but this guitar will be shielded as well as possible.

EDIT:

And just to clear things up, there's a very good reason why I've made the stereo output go to two mono jacks rather than one stereo jack. What would you do if you had a guitar with a stereo output jack and you wanted to send your stereo output to your amp via a wireless system? Well, you would need a 1/4" male stereo to dual 1/4" female mono adapter and two wireless transmitters. If you ask me, that would look bad and I'd question the reliability of the setup. I try not to rely too much on adapters. The two mono jacks would allow you to use two mono transmitters with no adapters whatsoever.

I'm building this guitar with production in mind. I'm trying to make this something every player could enjoy. I'm as serious as a heart attack about starting my own guitar business a few years after I finish up my bachelor's at LSU. I want to get as much experience under my belt before that time comes. And I want to get in the mindset of building production guitars; at least I want to start thinking about what the consumer is looking for. That's the reason I'm using concentric volume and tone pots. That way, the player who likes to individually tune their humbuckers' tone and volume can, and the player who likes to turn the volume or tone of their humbuckers up in tandem can just grab both stacked knobs at once. Granted, everything I've incorporated in it(this project) is ultimately to put a smile on My face. I'm not trying to build the guitar that can do everything. I have a very strong jazz background(I live right outside of New Orleans); that's probably a big part of why this is a hollow body. I'm just rambling now...but knowing you guys, somebody will read it.

Edited by thegarehanman
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Man, your finishing faster than I thought was possible. How long do you expect it will take just to do the finish? Also are you going to match the color or wood for the case? I think buying a cheap veneer of some good flamed maple would look sweet!

I think doing what you are doing now with your work is probably a very good idea, since you are interested in production guitars, it enables you to get the feel of what people are looking for. Also you always do some polls once you finish the project, to see what people like about it and what else they would like, personally I can't think of much, except maybe I would like to be able to play better, so I could justify having one!

As for the production guitar, are you planning on hand making each custom guitar, or do you mean doing like a production line, factory style. I think you would do fine either way, but I must say I would much rather have one made totally from scratch by your hands, than one made by machine from your design. Your work is top notch and machines sometimes don't see things the way someone like yourself would, like knots and odd grain patterns and so on. And customs can really be suited to the customer, they also tend to fetch more money than a production guitar, but you can only make a few customs as compared to plenty of production guitars.

Well either way I would love to get my hands on one, when the time comes and I have some money to spare. Also I don't think a lot of people give jazz enough credit, it really has a HUGE influence in most modern music. Well good luck man and I can't get enough of your guitar, when ever you have pics post them please. It looks great now and with the finish I can't imagine how nice it will look. Later man. Jason

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You're right about jazz; it doesn't get enough credit. Maybe it's better that way though. I like that jazz is under rated. Somehow I get more enjoyment out of it that way. Really, we wouldn't have the improvisational music we know today were it not for jazz. Jazz is all about improvisation. That's what I like about it; you can make a mistake and then turn it into something beautiful that people praise you for.

Back to the guitar...

Once it’s been sanded and is ready for staining, I don’t imagine it would take any more than 3 days for me to get the stain and clear coats on. It’ll have to sit a week before I’m comfortable wet sanding it though(I use 2 pack clear coats). While the clear is drying, I’ll be carpeting and lining the guitar case...

I was thinking about making a really eye catching case, but I'm not going to. I don't want it to scream "steal me." Also, I expect a guitar case to be able to take some abuse. I do a lot of gigs so all of my black cases are pretty much white now from paint scuffs. The sides of the case will be 1/2" pine. The top and back of the case will be 1/8" lexan. I'm doing a 3/4" round over on all of the edges. I'll then wrap the whole case in carpeting. Wrapping cases and amps in carpet is a piece of cake, and it looks so professional in the end. The inside will first get a layer of 3/4" foam on every surface. Then I'm going to wrap the guitar in cellophane, prop the neck up, and make a mold of it with expanding foam in the case. I'll put a large piece of squishy foam on the top portion of the case to pad the strings and body and what not. I'm lining the case with black crushed velvet. The case will look good, but ultimately it's all about functionality when it comes to a case(for me). I want that guitar to be well protected.

And as far as production goes. I want to start off with all of the guitars being handmade. However, I plan on making very comprehensive templates and jigs for every project from here on out. That way, I can do some rough cuts, and then finish the entire guitar with nothing more than a router, a bearing, and the templates. That will speed up the process exponentially, hopefully making it cost efficient. I don't want to build all out customs like ormsby though; I think I can make just a few models(each model having a few different electronics options) and have a wide spectrum of player covered...and pleased.

Edited by thegarehanman
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I was thinking about making a really eye catching case, but I'm not going to. I don't want it to scream "steal me." Also, I expect a guitar case to be able to take some abuse.

Very good point! Especially the steal me! It sounds like your guitar will be very well protected, and the black crushed velvet will be great looking and feeling. I love stuff like that. Good luck with the case and take some pics of the process, it sounds like a good plan. Thanks Russ. Later.

And as far as production goes. I want to start off with all of the guitars being handmade. However, I plan on making very comprehensive templates and jigs for every project from here on out. That way, I can do some rough cuts, and then finish the entire guitar with nothing more than a router, a bearing, and the templates. That will speed up the process exponentially, hopefully making it cost efficient. I don't want to build all out customs like ormsby though; I think I can make just a few models(each model having a few different electronics options) and have a wide spectrum of player covered...and pleased.

Sounds like a good plan. I especially like the elctronics options. I have learned that the electronics seem to have the most influence on the sound. I used to think the wood played more into it, but it makes sense that wood influence isn't as much compared to pickups and such. But I'm sure the hollowness has an effect on it too. Would you have solid bodies as well as a model? It sounds like you will be doing something similar to LGM guitars. That will be cool, I would do a few customs though when you had the time, just a few here and there, just like this guitar. I think it really attracts people to you work, when they see a beautifully designed and built custom like the one your making. Good luck with that Russ, sounds great, I hope it works out for you! I'm sure it will. Later.Jason

Edited by jmrentis
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Of course I'd have a few solid body models. Actually, I'd probably have only one or two hollow body models. I think my next build will either be that base I talked to you about or a solid body version of this guitar w/ some kent armstrong P90's in humbucker cases. They look really sweet with the polepieces in the middle. Take a look on their site, you'll see what I mean. For that one, I'd like to find woods that are either black or white. I think a guitar(finished naturally) built from woods that are only black and white would look great. There are so many woods available today that I'm sure I'll be able to get something that has good tone and fits my criteria. And I would make completely custom guitars for certain customers as well as myself, but I want to mainly sell production models. I have a few friends that are already quite well known in the music scene in New Orleans so if they ever hit it big, I'll already have endorsements.

Edited by thegarehanman
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Nice! I'm sure if those people make it, your business will be easy to make. Sometimes if you get lucky, you can just blow up without hardly trying, just by word of mouth. But with the quality of your designs and eye for building, I think you will have no problems breaking into the business regardless. And having an education never hurts, have you taken any business classes, or thought about that? I bet you have or are at least planning on it.

I love looking through woods, like spending hours going through gilmers site. I see so much on there that I want. One day, I tell ya, I will run a place like that, or at least make enough money to buy any piece I want when I want. Seriously gilmer is the best place for woods that I've ever seen. I see a few black and white woods on there, many not quite white, but close enough and some are even silvery. I'll link some up later.

That black and white guitar idea sounds sick. I think it would look great, I like seeing natural colors of wood. Figure is cool, but I never know what I like better, the wood with color, or natural. Thats a hard decision for me. I think I like natural a little better in most situations. Thats what I voted for first in your poll I believe. Also that bass sounds cool, when would you start it, maybe next break from school? Like you mentioned bass tends to give you a bit more freedom in design, I'll be very interested in how yours turns out. Later man, I'll go check out those pups.Jason

Edited by jmrentis
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I'm actually considering getting an MBA after I finish up my bachelor's. The mechanical engineering course at LSU is very comprehensive; so I don't think I'll be able to get in any business courses before then. I am scheduled to take a philosophy course this coming semester though. Let's see how that effects my designs. I imagine I won't start building anything else until next summer. I don't know though. It really all depends on finances(which get tight when school comes around), but my dad owns a company that buys, refurbishes, and resells repossessed houses. So I make pretty good money doing that on my breaks from school.

To be honest, I’m really torn between wether I want to build the black and white P90 equipped guitar or the borealis themed bass next. I’ll have to think out the finer details of each one and then pick.

Ok, time to glue the binding to the back of this thing.

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It’ll have to sit a week before I’m comfortable wet sanding it though(I use 2 pack clear coats). While the clear is drying, I’ll be carpeting and lining the guitar case...

I thought the established rule was a one-month curing time? Or is that just for rattlecans?

And yeah, I vote for a few more pictures!

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No, I'm using a two pack. What we mean when we say "two pack" is that it comes as two parts and you mix it before spraying. It dries as the result of a chemical reaction, much like epoxy does. Heat lamps can be used to accelerate the process. Fortunately for me, I live in Southern Louisiana which is about as hot as a heat lamp, hehe. I've found that if I leave something sprayed with a two pack out in the heat(when it's not too, too humid), it's rock hard in anywhere from 2 days to just under a week. If I had an appropriate heat lamp setup though, it's just be one day. I use the same tests as everyone else, the fingernail test, and the odor test. This pictures will come in time. I've bound the entire back. Also, I had to plane 1/16" off of the back of the head stock to accommodate the schaller locking tuners I'm using. This caused me to sand through the leaf inlay I had had there. It's just as well though, I decided I really didn't like it. I'm going to put the outline of a leaf in gold paint there when I'm finishing it though. I think it will be a more subtle, more tasteful touch. I'll take some pics once I have the frets in and I've sanded it in preparation for finishing. That should only be a few days.

Edited by thegarehanman
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Well, since there was such a high demand(all of two requests, ha) for full body shots, I decided to snap a couple of pictures before I turned the lights out in the shop tonight. All I have to do before I can start finishing is more sanding, cabinet scrape everything, install the abalone sidedots, and fret it.

Click the thumbnails to enlarge them.

bodyfront.jpg.xs.jpg

The front...

bodyback.jpg.xs.jpg

...and the back

"Yup Bo, I reckon' it's a gee-tar ulright."

Edited by thegarehanman
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Damnit man, thats one good lookin guitar! Once it has a finish it will really pronounce all those excellent details you put in. I can't wait to see it all finished up. That fretboard really ended up looking nice too, when you look at those full body shots, the darkness of the fretboard really stands out, seriously black. Good luck on the finishing and the case! Later. Jason

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I took a 1/2 day break from working on the guitar today. I was getting too stressed out. To counteract the stress I built a wicked coffee table from some scrap wood and a cast iron gramar school desk base. I shall post pics of that tomorrow. Back to working on the guitar now. I feel sufficiently stress free.

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Ok, so as promised, here are some pics of that distraction of a coffee table I'm building. The base is cast iron. It came off of an old school desk that looks to be from the early 1900's. All of the wood was rotten and I favored making this table over trying to restore it. The top is masonite that will eventually be gloss black. For now it just has primer. I'm back in the guitar building mood and so this will be on the back burner until I finish my guitar.

(click thumbnail to enlarge)

tableside.jpg.xs.jpg

tabletop.jpg.xs.jpg

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I started building the case for this guitar yesterday. It has 3/4" pine sides and a 1/4" plywood top. The whole thing will be lined with 3/4" styrofoam board, the body will be used to make a form fitting mold out of great stuff, and the whole thing will be lined with crushed velvet. The outside of the case will get covered with charcoal indoor/outdoor low pile carpeting(very durable stuff).

(Click the thumbnails to enlarge them)

pieceofpine.jpg.xs.jpg

This is a piece of pine left over from the sides of the case. It's got heartwood and sapwood and it has birdeye figure. It was just sitting with the rest of the lumber at Home Depot. It's a shame it's getting covered with carpetting.

biscuitsin.jpg.xs.jpg

I was thinking of using mortise and tenon joints to hold the case together. I decided it wasn't worth the work and used a biscuit jointer instead. Here is one of the sides for the bottom with the biscuits test fitted into it before gluing. I couldn't fit 2 "20" biscuits in it so I used a "20" and a "00" which ended up being the perfect fit.

woodcasebottom.jpg.xs.jpg

This is a picture of the bottom of the case. In this one, the sides have already been glued together and now the top is getting glued on. I have a trash bucket on it to hold the top down while it's drying. I also have a few 3/4" finishing nails through the plywood as insurance.

casewithstyrotp.jpg.xs.jpg

Here is the top of the case with the styrofoam fitted to it.

casewithstyrobtm.jpg.xs.jpg

Here is the bottom of the case with the styrofoam insert being glued together. The insert isn't fully "inserted" into the wooden shell. It's just pushed in a few inches to hold all of the pieces together while the latex glue dries. The insert will come back out so I can carpet the wooden case. I'll then make the mold of the guitar in the case and finally, I'll line the case with crushed velvit.

I'll be writing up a tutorial on how to make a case once I've finished this project. I'll probably make one on how to make tapered laminates for a laminated neck also.

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I don't have any pics yet, but the top wood shell of the case has been carpeted and the guitar is sitting in cellophane in the case while the great stuff expands and dries. I had expected this to go a little more smoothly than it is though. The great stuff just won't expand like I want it to; so I have to go back and fill in the gaps after I put down a layer. I will make it work though. And it's going to look darn good, but it will just take more patience than I had expected. That's my complaint.

This is my disappointment. I cut out my signature(matches the head stock) out of 1/4" plywood and was going to put it under the carpeting for the top. That way it's have a raised area of carpeting with the signature. Well, the carpeting is flexible, but not flexible enough. So I had to take the plywood signature out. I'm thinking about cutting one out of stainless and screwing it over the carpeting. I don't know, we'll see. I'll post pics of the carpeting job and the great stuff mold when I get a chance.

Edited by thegarehanman
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Do the stainless! That would be great, I think, and shouldn't be too much for you considering you know how to work well with metals. I say do your sig. with a little guitar underneath it on it's side. Too bad the plywood idea didn't work, that would have been pretty damn cool. Maybe you could make some almost non visables holes in the carpet and then put some led's behind them to light them up, and put the battery in the little boxes in the case. Nice stuff abd I can't wait to see some pics! Later. J

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